On the Friday before Halloween, the Saw franchise saved some face with its supposedly "final chapter" after the disappointment of its last movie, while Paranormal Activity 2 dissipated. Overall business was up a bit over the same Friday last year when Michael Jackson's This Is It led.

Saw 3D notched an estimated $9 million on over 3,500 screens at 2,808 locations. Add in its Thursday night previews, and its gross came to $10.7 million. That improved upon the $7 million Friday launch of the last movie, Saw VI, but it was a far cry from Saw II through Saw V, which averaged $14 million (or over $16 million adjusted for ticket price inflation). Approximately three quarters of Saw 3D's screens presented the picture in the 3D illusion, and they accounted for 93 percent of business. If Saw 3D follows a similar pattern to the previous Saw movies, its weekend gross would land in the vicinity of $20 million, but it may have a smaller-than-normal Sunday decrease due to Halloween landing on Sunday.

Paranormal Activity 2 suffered a 71 percent drop from last Friday, claiming an estimated $5.8 million. Its Friday-to-Friday fall was almost as bad as the last three Saw movies, and it was worse than The Ring Two at the same point but a tad better than The Grudge 2. The first Paranormal Activity was a slow roll-out phenomenon, so there is no direct comparison, but it did make a little more on Halloween Friday at fewer locations last year. Paranormal Activity 2's total rose to a relatively strong $55 million in eight days.

Red held its ground again, easing 25 percent to an estimated $3.4 million for a $51.5 million haul in 15 days. Jackass 3-D again fell harder than its predecessors, tumbling 58 percent to an estimated $3.1 million, but it has grossed much more with $96.3 million in 15 days. Hereafter collapsed by 49 percent in its second Friday of nationwide release, despite jumping from 2,181 locations to 2,424, and its total climbed to a tepid $17.9 million.

Secretariat posted another small decline, slowing a mere 21 percent to an estimated $1.58 million for a $41.3 million purse in 22 days. The Social Network stuck to its pattern, dipping 32 percent to an estimated $1.55 million for a $76.6 million tally in 29 days. Life as We Know It and The Town also held well again.

Meanwhile, Conviction leapt to 565 locations, up from 55 last week, but continued its low-key run. The drama largely inspired indifference with its estimated $550,000.